


To See a Man About a Cow

by MsRookroll



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Canon Continuation, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Road Trips, Romance, Short & Sweet, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25599430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsRookroll/pseuds/MsRookroll
Summary: Going with Violet to pick up a cow for the school was the perfect opportunity for Clementine to try out her new wooden leg. It was also a great excuse for them to spend some time together. However, along the way, they'll realize that adjusting to the changes might not be as easy as they thought, but that's okay as long as they have each other.
Relationships: AJ | Alvin Jr. & Clementine (Walking Dead), AJ | Alvin Jr. & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine & Lee Everett, Clementine & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 105





	1. The First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short, fluffy, sweet, story about a couple that's very near and dear to my heart because it's 2020 and we all need nice things that make us smile. The story takes place soon after the end of the game, I tried to stick to the canon but in this version Louis didn't lose his tongue because I couldn't bring myself to write him like that. Thank you for reading and please enjoy!
> 
> Greetings from Colombia

Clementine knew better. She had learned —the hard way— to never let her guard down, no matter how colorful the trees’ leaves were or how soothing the river sounded. One could never forget danger was everywhere, waiting for a simple misstep or a moment of quiet happiness to rear its head. Should she ever forget that, a glance at the wooden stick where her leg should be would be enough to remind her. She knew that, she knew all of that, and yet…

 _It’s Violet’s fault, really_ , Clementine concluded. She glanced at the blond girl walking by her side. When they were together, she couldn’t help to let go of the fear and the angst and the tension and the worries. And how was either of them going make it in a world like that without any of those things?

“How…how does it feel…the leg?” Violet murmured, trying to sound casual.

“You finally asked,” Clementine replied, with a smirk.

“Huh?”

“I’ve seen you glancing at my pirate leg ever since we left Ericson.”

“Oh…” Violet blushed, before looking down. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, Vi. I feel great, see?” Clementine gave a couple of big steps to show off the wooden leg. However, she stumbled slightly and came close to losing her balance, so she added quickly: “I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. We can still go back.”

“Go back? Are you kidding? Going to get a cow is the chance of a life time. There’s no way I’m gonna let you have all the fun.”

“Clem…”

“Plus, I clearly need the practice.”

“We still have a long way to go.”

“Good.”

“Ugh, fine. Would you at least hold on to me?” Violet said with a grunt, before offering her arm to Clementine.

“Gladly,” Clementine replied gently taking her girlfriend’s arm. “But don’t think I don’t see what you did just there.”

“What is that exactly?”

“You made a move on me.”

Violet smiled and rolled her eyes.

“You got me there.”

Smiling, they continued their walk through the forest. This was the first time Clementine was leaving the school since the whole Delta debacle. The first few weeks were the hardest. She never thought she’d miss having to wash the dishes or sweep the floor or basically do any chore, but being bedridden will do that to a person. Also, there was the matter of the pain.

Clementine didn’t feel it at first. She was busy going in and out of consciousness. She caught glimpses of sunlight, eyes and hands, she smelled the alcohol and heard faint murmurs, but everything had melted into the same senseless hodgepodge and Clementine was sure she had died. She had died, yes, but where were her parents? Where was everyone she had lost along the way? Clementine swore she heard Lee’s voice, he said: _It’s time to wake up, Sweet pea._ And she did, for good.

It wasn’t very graceful. On the contrary, like AJ described it, _it was kinda of funny in a scary way, like watching a fish out of water._ Only after convincing herself that she was really there, in that room, surrounded by her people, did the pain arrive. Her leg was on fire and it throbbed so much, she thought that she’d be able to see the skin rising and lowering violently. Nevertheless, when she did look, there was nothing there. No foot. No leg.

“It’s a small price to pay, all things considered”, she had told Violet, as she placed a hand over the stump.

Violet gently held Clementine’s hand.

“It’s a big change, Clem,” Violet said gingerly. What she meant was _it’s okay to cry._

“It’s alright,” Clementine insisted. “Leg, no leg, I’m just happy to be here right now with AJ, and with you.”

She gave Violet a gentle squeeze and a smile so sincere Violet couldn’t have suspected Clementine had spent the previous night crying. What Clementine had said was only half a lie. She really was happy to be there, but it wasn’t alright. Nothing was alright. How could she protect anyone if she couldn’t walk? If she couldn’t even get out of that freaking bed? She had spent too much time learning to take care of herself and those she loved to let it all end like that.

* * *

They stopped by the river to refill their canteens. Clementine sat by a rock, and waited for Violet to face away before rubbing her stump. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but it had started to ache. Nevertheless, being in pain by the river and between the trees was a lot better than being in pain inside the walls of Ericson. And then, as if on cue, a cloud moved and the sunlight came pouring in. Clementine took a deep breath and smiled, watching Violet look inside the backpack for the canteens.

“Let me help you,” Clementine said, about to stand up.

“No, no, sit your ass down,” Violet said, taking out the canteens. “If you fall into the river, you’ll catch a cold and then everyone will catch it and that’s the last thing we need.”

“Who says I’m going to fall?” Clementine replied, standing up so quick she nearly slipped.

Violet hurried to her side, but Clementine found her balance quickly.

“See?” Clementine said, with a smile that made Violet smile as well, even as she shook her head.

“You’re such a pain in the ass to take care of,” Violet replied. “Sitting down for two minutes won’t kill you, I promise.”

“Fine,” Clementine sighed, before sitting back on the rock.

“Thank you,” Violet concluded, before turning around and walking towards the river.

“You’re starting to sound just like Ruby.”

“ _Do ya see what you’re doin’ to me?”_ Violet replied doing her best Ruby impression which was so bad, Clementine couldn’t help to burst out laughing. Violet blushed and laughed herself, before briefly turning around to add: “Please don’t let me do that again”.

Clementine was still laughing when an _I love you_ escaped her lips. She covered her mouth hastily, as if she could take the words back. Terrified, she looked at Violet, but the girl was by the river collecting water as if nothing had happened. Clementine sighed relieved, Violet was too far to have heard, especially under the sound of the flowing water.

From the rock, she looked at Violet. Clementine liked the way sunlight bounced off her hair. She looked at Violet’s hands holding the canteen. Even if Clementine had seen Violet take down walkers with those same hands, at the moment, they appeared so delicate and so precious to her that she feared the current would overcome them and the canteens would float away down the river. A gust of wind blew gently and pushed a lock of hair over Violet’s eyes. Without moving, Violet blew the hair away, exposing her green eyes briefly, before the hair covered them again, and Clementine knew it then. She knew it was true: she loved her.

Clementine was suddenly paralyzed by that knowledge.


	2. The Missing Parts

_How are you feeling? Is it…are you okay? Does it hurt?_

Violet could tell it hurt. She saw the way Clementine grimaced slightly with each step. It should be easy to ask her, but Violet knew that, best case scenario, Clementine would force a smile and say she was fine. Worst case scenario she would get pissed and tell her to leave it alone, she would ask how many times did she have to say it was okay, she didn’t want to go back. And what could Violet say? People pestering her, asking her if she was alright, if she needed anything, also pissed her off. People pissed her off. So how was she supposed to help her girlfriend? Her girlfriend who was in pain. That was why Violet had asked for Louis’s help.

That wasn’t easy either. Asking for any type of help was not her thing, so much so, that she stopped some four times before getting over herself and finally knocking on Louis’s door. When he told her to come in, she decided to rip the band aid at once. 

“I’m worried about Clem.”

“I…Hey?”

“I’m sorry,” Violet said, sitting on the edge of his bed. “I just…you’re good with this shit.”

“I’m good at lots of things,” Louis smirked, sitting by her side, “so you’ll have to be a little more specific.”

“Feelings and shit.”

“Ah, so you’ve come to the master…of love.”

“Okay, this was a terrible idea,” Violet said, about to stand up when Louis gently grabbed her wrist.

“I’m kidding, c’mon, sit.”

Violet sighed and sat again.

“So, what is it?”

“Okay…maybe I’m overreacting, but it’s just, Clem keeps saying she’s fine, that everything’s fine, like it’s not a big deal. And I…I don’t know,” Violet sighed, crossing her arms, “it seems like a big deal to me.”

“Oh yeah, she’s totally in denial.”

“You see it too? Okay, so I’m not crazy.”

“I definitely didn’t say _that_ ,” Louis replied, earning himself a punch on the shoulder. “Hey!”

“So what do we do?”

“We have to let her process things on her own terms, Vi.”

“So…nothing?”

“We let her know we’re here for her, whenever she wants to talk.”

Violet sighed and rubbed her neck. Louis looked at her with a smile, that smug smile of his, which forced Violet to ask _what?_

“I’m surprised it’s all,” he said. “You, of all people, _you_ are trying to help Clem to speak up about her feelings?”

“And doing a crappy job at it. You make it sound easy,” she complained. “The whole feelings and shit, you always have. You say what you feel like it’s no big deal.”

“Isn’t it? Worst case scenario, you make fool of yourself, and God knows that has never stopped you before.”

“You’re an idiot,” Violet said, smiling, “but you’re probably right.”

“I am, and I’m also proud of you.”

That was the last thing Violet was expecting to hear, so she couldn’t even think of an answer.

“Uh…thanks, Lou…you…are a really good friend.”

“Wait, I didn’t hear, what was that?”

“Don’t push it,” she replied, before standing up.

* * *

Violet opened her mouth, but couldn’t think of what to say. The wind was starting blow harder and the gusts made leaves rustle and the branches shake. She liked the smell of the pines.

“What should we name her?” Violet asked at last. “The cow…”

“Don’t look at me, I suck at names,” Clementine replied, smiling. “There’s a reason why Happy Sunshine Land didn’t stick,”

“True, but if we don’t name her, you know Louis will, and he’ll choose something stupid like the Cowntess or something.”

That made Clementine chuckle, which in turn, sparked Violet’s smile.

“You’re right. How about…Daisy? In keeping with the flower theme and all.”

“Not bad, but I think we can do better," Violet replied. "How about Checkers? You know because of the black and white and all.”

“Not crazy about ‘Checkers’, but I like the black and white idea. Let’s see… maybe Domino? Pepper? Skunk? Oh, how about Oreo?”

“Oreo? It’s been a while since I heard that.”

“Do you remember what they tasted like?”

“I don’t know if I ever had any, to be honest… but my mom did buy the cheap knock off brand sometimes.”

Clementine smiled.

“They were pretty good,” Violet concluded. “Probably not as good as the real thing, but I liked them, maybe because sometimes my mom would have one too and we’d sit down to eat them together with some milk.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah, there were some nice moments…especially when I wasn’t being shitty to her,” Violet said with a long sigh. “It wasn’t fair, but she was the only one around so I guess I took it out on her. I wish I hadn’t though, but…What about you?”

“Me?”

“Were you a brat?”

“Sometimes.”

Violet looked at Clementine. That sweet smile and those eyes so carefully guarded by two sets of long eyelashes were not suited for cruelty, not even in a world like theirs. Violet couldn’t even picture Clementine having a tantrum.

“Nah,” she said, shaking her head. “You strike me more like a teacher’s pet.”

“Excuse me?” Clementine said, raising an eyebrow.

“Am I wrong?” Violet insisted, with a cocky smile.

“I was a good student, but I wouldn’t say I was a teacher’s pet!”

“Okay, but that’s exactly what a teacher’s pet would say.”

“Fuck you!” Clementine chuckled, giving Violet a playful shove.

As they kept walking, a few droplets of rain began to fall. Violet looked up. The sun was still out and only a few clouds crossed the sky, but it was windy and the rain could get worse.

“Maybe we should…” Violet stopped hallway through her sentence.

“It’s just a little bit of rain,” Clementine replied with a frown. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

Violet let out a sigh. Every step now started to feel like a bad idea. Yes, it was only a little bit of rain, but if it got any worse, if the ground became slippery, if something were to happen to Clementine, that would be on her.

“Do you think a lot about that The past, your family” Clementine intervened. “When I try to remember my parents’ faces, I can see some parts very well, like their eyes, my mother’s nose, my father’s chin, but sometimes it’s hard to remember it all together…it blurs a little.”

“I get that.”

“It’s funny, but when I think of Lee, I can see him pretty clearly. I don’t know if I really remember him that well or if I have just been imagining him the same way for years.”

“I like the way you talk about him,” Violet said, and then added with a hushed, more careful voice: “He meant a lot to you, didn’t he?”

“He saved my life and then he kept saving it, even after he was gone,” Clementine replied with a sad smile. “But mainly he showed me you can lead not from cruelty or fear, but from kindness, like genuine kindness, even in the middle of this mess. Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound so cheesy.”

“Sounds like he was a good person,” Violet intervened. “Where I grew up there weren’t many of those.”

Violet thought about her old trailer, her father passed out on the couch, dirty with his own vomit, and her mother, kneeling on the floor cleaning. Not a Rockwell-worthy scene, but one very familiar to her.

“I sometimes wonder about my mom,” Violet said. “I…it’s stupid.”

“You can tell me,” Clementine said, with that sincere smile of hers.

“It’s not like it matters now, but I sometimes wonder if she tried to come for me when it all went to hell… I don’t know. She probably didn’t. I’d like to know what happened to her, if she’s out there…for a long time, like a year or so after everything started, I kept having this dream that I killed a walker and when I took a look, it was actually her.”

“That’s rough…I, did I tell you I saw my parents like that?” Clementine’s voice broke slightly.

 _Shit. Way to put the finger in the wound, Violet, nice fucking job._ In her defense, Clementine definitely hadn’t told her. Had Violet known, she wouldn’t have gone even near that subject.

“I’m sorry…You don’t have to talk about it, Clem,” Violet said with an apologetic voice. “I mean, if you don’t want to.”

Violet’s eyes darted towards Clementine. Did she want to talk about it and had Violet stopped her? God, how she wished the right words to say would just magically sprout from her lips in moments like that. Now Clem was silent, and Violet could feel her hands sweating.

“I can’t…” Violet continued, hoping she wasn’t making matters worse. “I can’t imagine how that must have felt.”

“It was like…” Clementine said slowly. “It was like being trapped in a nightmare. I could see their faces hiding underneath, but there was nothing left of them, not really. But at the same time, it was…them, and even that deformed, hellish version of them was better than nothing. It scares me to think what would’ve happened, if Lee hadn’t been there with me. I probably would’ve gone with them.”

Clementine sighed. Violet could see a quiet sadness settling in her honey colored eyes, and since there was nothing she could say to make it go away for good, she simply reached out for Clementine’s hand in silence.

“I think…” Clementine continued. “I think that was what Tenn felt at the bridge. Or something like it.” Clementine let out a deep sigh before adding: “It doesn’t get easier, does it? No matter how many people we lose, it doesn’t get easier.”

“No, it doesn’t…but maybe…that’s a good thing? It’d be scarier if it ever became easy.”

Clementine stopped and looked at her. Violet lowered her head, wondering if she had just said something stupid or mean or both; it wouldn’t have been the first time.

“That’s very wise,” Clementine smiled. “Are you sure you weren’t a teacher’s pet?”

“Oh no,” Violet looked up, with a shy smile. “I was a verified basket case or a ‘troubled youth’, I have the file to prove it.”

There was a slope ahead, and Violet saw Clementine grimace and bite her lips as they slowly went down. Due to the rain, the dirt was turning into mud, and Clementine slipped slightly. Violet immediately wrapped an arm around her waist to make sure she wouldn’t fall. When they reached the end of the slope, Violet’s heart was racing like crazy. It was a mix of feeling Clementine so close to her and being terrified something could happen to her.

“Do you want…we can stop for a moment,” Violet murmured.

“I’m fine, Vi,” Clementine sentenced. “We better keep going, before the rain gets worse.”

“I don’t think…” Violet sighed. “Alright, yeah, let’s keep moving then.”

“So, tell me about these people.” Violet could tell it was Clementine’s way of changing the subject. “Do you trust them?”

“Well… no. I guess I trust them as much as anyone over thirty can be trusted,” Violet replied. “They’re alright.”

“What did they ask in exchange for the cow again?”

“Some seeds, some bullets and five tomatoes.”

“Not bad.”

“They said they had to leave the cow behind anyways because it was slowing them down, so it was a bargain.”

“And how much did they ask for this?” Clementine asked, looking down at the wooden leg.

“I’m not telling you that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it was a gift from all of us to you.”

“And?”

“It’s not polite to ask,” Violet teased her with a smirk. “You were raised better than that.”

“Was it more than the cow?” Clementine insisted. “Because they did a good job, but I don’t know if it was cow-level good.”

“Cow-level good?” Violet repeated with a chuckle. Violet looked at her. It felt so nice to have someone who could make her laugh like that, so effortlessly, so casually.

“You know what I mean,” Clementine chuckled too.

“It was AJ’s idea, the leg. Did he tell you? When we went to check out the caravan and saw them from afar, he pulled my arm and asked me if I was seeing what he was seeing. He said it so…well he said it like an actual kid.”

“An actual kid?”

“You know what I mean. I love AJ, but he can be a bit…intense sometimes. It was nice to actually see him so excited about something. At first, I thought he was talking about the horse or the cow, but then he pointed at a woman sitting by the fire. I didn’t get it, until I saw she was carving something in wood, and then I got what he was thinking about. Honestly, that’s the only reason we approached them in the first place. He was so happy when Rosario told him she could do it, you should’ve seen his face.”

“He’s such a good kid.”

“And he really cares about you…we all do.”

Violet didn’t mean it as an accusation, but it came out as one, and Clementine looked down. They walked in silence, as the raindrops kept coming in, even faster than before. _Good fucking job, Violet. Clem was really excited to go out today and you keep making her feel like shit._

“I…” Violet said, rubbing her neck. “I think Oreo’s a…really cool name.”

Clementine stopped, and was about to say something. Violet looked straight into her girlfriend’s eyes, trying to understand what it could be. However, Clementine said nothing, and instead leaned forward to give Violet a kiss.


	3. The Words

It was simple: _I love you._ There, that was it. People said it all the time…at least in TV and movies. That was a completely different world, though. What did words like that even mean anymore? Had Clementine even heard people say them to each other those days? And then a terrifying thought crossed her mind: what about Kenny?

What about Kenny, indeed. Wasn’t love the thing that broke him? Flashes of Carver’s skinless face and Kenny’s blood-spattered beard crossed her mind. She pushed them away at once, but the memory was enough to send shivers down her back. What terrified her the most was not the lack of humanity in Carver’s face but in Kenny’s.

And what about Christa? Clementine remembered the sound of her cries. _Oh God…Omid…Can you hear me?_ She would never forget how much desperation could fit in those four words: _Can you hear me?_ It was plea, a prayer, a demand, a lament all wrapped in four words. And Christa’s pain never went away, it just grew quieter. It became a resignation, a total surrender to that new life where she would never be complete again, or at least that was what Christa’s quiet sobbing felt like, late at night, when she thought Clementine had fallen asleep. That was the thing about love stories in their world: they always ended the same.

Clementine was trying not to think about any of that. She had to focus on the walking, especially since it had started to rain. The pain had worsened and the uneven terrain was not doing her any favors. She was trying to concentrate on it, but then Violet had to go ahead and open up about her family. Clementine hadn’t expected to hear Violet talk about her mother like that. It meant a lot that Violet would trust her with her heartbreak, so in turn, Clementine had trusted her with hers. Through the years, she had collected a considerable amount of pain —who hadn’t?—, but for AJ’s sake she had done her best to bury it. Nevertheless, unearthing it with Violet not only proved that pain was still there, but also that maybe there was a way to make it a bit less…painful. Or at least that what it felt like, when Violet held her hand. And then, to top it all off, Violet had to go on and be all cute with the whole naming the cow thing.

“I think Oreo’s a really cool name.”

And that was it, that was the moment. Clementine stopped with the sole intention of saying it, but…

It was a great kiss, though, especially because it started to rain, to really rain, like in the movies. And so, she gave Violet a kiss worthy of being set on film. Violet not only kissed her back, but she also gave her a second kiss on her neck something she had never done before. Unlike the first kiss, this one wasn’t urgent and fiery, but very gentle and slow and it made Clementine’s stomach flutter as she felt Violet’s lips pressed against her skin. She would have given anything to savor that moment, but just then she noticed a walker approaching, and had to step back.

“Shit, I’m sorry… I…” Violet muttered, her cheeks getting red.

“We have company,” Clementine said. With one hand she pointed at the walker and with the other she took out her knife. “Don’t worry, I got it.”

The walker came growling at her. Clementine aimed for the eye. With a quick stroke, she hit it, but she wasn’t able to press the knife deep enough, before the walker swung his arms at her face. The walker then lurched forward and tried to bite Clementine’s forearm, forcing her to pull out the knife and step back. She noticed Violet approaching.

“Don’t. I got it!” Clementine shouted.

Killing walkers was her bread and butter. She had been doing it for the better part of her life, and she wasn’t going to stop. She could still take care of herself and those around her. She could take care of single walker. She had to because how else was she supposed to protect all of Ericson if she couldn’t even take out one damn walker? She dodged its attack, and had a perfect opening to go for the eye again. But when she tried to do it, her body didn’t move. The stupid wooden leg was stuck in the mud.

“Fuck!” Clementine exclaimed as she struggled to get it out.

The walker was coming. Good, if she couldn’t go to it, she’d let it come to her. Then she’d pin it to a nearby tree and stab it again. She tried to ignore the stank of its breath and prepared. It attacked. With a quick movement, Clementine pressed its neck against the tree and pushed on trying to subdue it enough to have a clear access to the eye. It struggled, but with a little more force, she would have it. But then there was a quick motion and before Clementine could give it the final stab, the walker collapsed. Confused, she watched as Violet leaned to get her knife from the walker’s eye socket.

“I told you I had it,” Clementine barked as she struggled still with the leg.

“It could have bitten you,” Violet grunted.

Clementine pulled harder and finally managed to free her leg, but she nearly slipped in the process. Violet hurried to help her, but Clementine shot her a glare.

“Don’t,” Clementine sentenced, regaining her balance on her own.

Frowning, she said nothing and continued walking. She clenched her fists. Fuck. She could’ve taken that walker, she knew she had it. Why did Violet have to step in? Did she think she had become some sort of cripple? Clementine was missing a leg, yeah, but so what? Nothing else had changed. She wasn’t a burden. She had seen what happened when someone became one: they ended up getting themselves killed along with everyone else. That was not her. Not anymore, Lee had taught her better than that. And now, leg or no leg, she wasn’t going to squander everything he had given her, including his own life.

“Clem…” Violet started with a hushed voice.

“I don’t need your pity, Vi, okay?”

“Pity?”

“Everyone treats me like I’m some sort of wounded animal, and I don’t need that crap, especially not from you,” Clementine replied, firmly. “I told you I had it.”

“It was attacking you! What did you want me to do? Sit by and watch you get hurt?”

“I had it under control. How am I supposed to do anything if you don’t trust me? I just…forget it, just forget it.”

“No. I know you think this isn’t a big deal,” Violet continued as the droplets of rain slid down her face. “But it is. Okay? You lost a fucking leg, Clementine! Things are not going to be the same!”

“You think I don’t know that?” Clementine stopped to face her. “Shit, I think about it every day. But I’m not going to let it change me. I can’t let it. I won’t let it stop me from protecting everyone, so just because _you_ couldn’t keep them safe—”

Clementine stopped herself. She realized halfway that she didn’t want to finish that sentence. Too late, though: the damage was done. She looked at Violet and wondered if only raindrops were sliding down her cheeks.

“I love you, but you’re being an asshole right now,” Violet concluded with a defeated tone and resumed walking.

And just like that, the words that had been tormenting Clementine’s mind were out in the open. Not only that, but they had come from Violet’s lips and she had said them as matter-of-factly as if she had said ‘it’s raining’ instead. 

* * *

Once, by the campfire, Omid had asked Clem for a dance. She had refused at first, with a giggle, saying she didn’t know how.

“I’ll teach you,” he said “c’mon, it’ll come in handy one day, you’ll see”

“Handy?” Christa scoffed. She was sitting down, trying to count their bullets. “Yes, next time a walker comes, she can take it for a dance.”

That made Clementine chuckle. Omid shook his head, smiling, and just offered his hand to Clementine.

“C’mon,” he said. “Nowadays any corpse can walk, but dancing’s just for the living.”

He said it with such joy, Clementine couldn’t find words to refuse. She took his hand.

“Step on my feet and I’ll show you,” Omid said, she obeyed. He then looked at Christa. “Sing something, I need the rhythm.”

“You’re going to make me lose count,” she complained, looking at the bullets.

“Ah, I got it,” Omid continued, and he began to sing himself. “ _Heaven, I’m in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.”_

He began moving his feet as he sang, joyfully exaggerating the moves to make Clementine come and go from side to side, laughing.

“Hold on, here comes the fast part,” Omid warned before starting to spin very quickly. “ _Heaven, I’m in heaven and the cares that hung around me through the week seem to vanish…something, something… When we’re dancing cheek to cheek_.”

“Careful, Astaire,” Christa intervened. “You’re going to make Clem sick.”

It was true, everything was spinning around her, but in a fun way. Omid stopped and smiled.

“What a great dance partner,” he said, as Clementine stepped off his feet and sat again.

“And now,” Omid continued, playfully walking towards Christa. “It’s this pretty lady’s turn.”

“Stop that,” Christa replied.

“ _Heaven, I’m in heaven,”_ he sang, as he took her hand. With a smile, she sighed and took his hand.

“Do you even know any more lyrics?” Christa asked, as they began to dance.

“Nope. _Heaven, I’m in heaven…”_

From the ground, Clementine watched them dance. She hadn’t really danced with Omid, it had all been a game, but what he and Christa were doing, that was really dancing. Their feet seemed to match perfectly, as if they could predict each other’s movements, as if an invisible string connected them both, like a golden spider web that couldn’t be broken even as they spun and turned. Omid then dipped Christa to give her a kiss. _Any corpse can walk, but dancing’s just for the living,_ Clementine repeated the words in her head. Those words had started to make sense watching them dance, but she had really come to understand them years later, the moment she danced with Violet, cheek to cheek.

It only took Clementine a few moments of walking in silence, to know she had to hurry back to Violet’s side and tell her how sorry she was and then hug her and maybe kiss her again under the rain.

Violet had stopped slightly ahead, so Clementine caught up with her. However, a look at Violet’s face, made Clementine understand something had happened. She stopped by her girlfriend’s side and looked at whatever she was looking at. There was a big clearing with muddy tire tracks where the rainwater was pooling. At the center there were some logs and the leftovers of a bonfire.

“They’re gone,” Violet said, frowning.

“At least they left the cow,” Clementine added, looking at the lonely animal tied to one of the trees.


	4. The Way Back

“‘ _Dear kids, there was a couple of people lurking around the camp yesterday. When they finally approached us, they became very upset when we said some of our things weren’t up for trade. They gave us a bad bad feeling, so we decided to leave before there was any trouble. __Be careful, and please take good care of our darling Henrietta._

 _Love, Rosario’_.”

When she was done reading, Violet lowered the note and looked at Clementine.

“Well that’s not good,” she concluded.

“I know,” Clementine replied. “What kinda name is Henrietta?”

Violet couldn’t help to give her a light chuckle, a very light one, careful not to give the impression there wasn’t an unfinished argument between them.

“Do you think they were talking about the Delta?” Clementine asked, as she looked down at the muddy tracks. “Maybe they regrouped,” Clementine said, “Or maybe it’s someone else. Who knows, with this rain, whatever trail they left is gone.””

Violet didn’t answer, she focused on the cow instead. It had been a while, a very long while, since she had been so close to one, and this one seemed to be taken straight from a children’s picture book with the black and white spots and the little tuft of her on her head. Sure, the cow was a bit skinny and there were some callouses on her legs, but she was, great and she was theirs. Violet concentrated on approaching her slowly, mainly to keep her mind from repeating Clementine’s words. It had been a low blow, but that didn’t make it any less true, did it?

Suddenly, the cow mooed loudly and Violet raised her hands, as if to show she had nothing to hide. Lacking the knowledge on how to properly introduce herself to a cow, Violet treated her like she would Rosie.

“Vi…” Clementine started.

“Shh…” Violet stopped her, still looking at the cow. “I don’t want to scare her.”

The cow gave a step forward. That was enough of an invitation for Violet to finally place a hand on the cow’s forehead, feeling the fur between her fingers. The cow seemed to like it, as she gave another step forward. Violet petted her for a moment.

“I did my best, you know,” the words just fell from Violet along a sigh. She focused on running her fingers through the cow’s pelt, without turning to face Clementine. “I know it wasn’t enough, but—”

“I didn’t mean what I said, Vi, not for one second,” Clementine intervened. “I’m so sorry. It wasn’t your fault, I was being stupid. You’ve done a great job with the school.”

“C’mon…Now, who’s pitying who?”

“It’s true.”

“I let Lou, Aasim and Omar get taken,” Violet stated firmly, before turning to face Clementine. “So, no, I didn’t do a ‘great job’, Clem, if I had, you would have your leg and Mitch and Tenn would still be here.”

“If you hadn’t done a great job, none of us would be here, Vi” Clementine replied. “I don’t want you to believe otherwise just because of my stupid mouth. Plus, who am I to talk? If I had been faster or stronger, maybe things might have been different, so don’t put that crap on yourself.”

“You don’t have to say all of that just because you’re my girlfriend, you know.”

“I don’t say it because you’re my girlfriend,” Clementine smiled. “I’m not even saying it because you have the prettiest smile and I’d do anything to see it now, I’m saying it because it’s true.”

The compliment didn’t go unnoticed by Violet’s cheeks, which became hotter and hotter.

“When I snapped back there,” Clementine continued. “I was really angry at myself, not you. Truth is, I’m…terrified.”

Violet looked for Clementine’s amber eyes, and judging by how fast she looked away, Violet could tell there were tears there.

“You think I’m not?” Violet replied, gently. “I can’t imagine what I’d do if something happened to you.”

* * *

The thing was, Clementine didn’t see herself in that moment, the moment in which they brought her back to Ericson, with her lower body bathed in blood and her face drained of any color, any hope. Of course Clementine hadn’t seen that, she was busy fighting for her life, but Violet had and she would never forget it.

Violet had insisted on staying in the room, while Ruby worked. She tried to make herself useful, but her hands were shaking, and her back was sweating as her breathing became shallow and urgent. For a moment the walls and the ceiling and the entire room dissolved around her.

It was AJ’s voice that brought her back to reality. He was standing next to her, mumbling over and over: _I had to._ The poor kid. If she was losing her shit, she couldn’t imagine what he was feeling. She slowly wrapped an arm around his shoulder. That made him tremble.

“I had to, I-I-I didn’t— I had to, I…” he repeated with a shaky voice.

Violet knelt in front of him, so she could look him in the eye. Holding on to his shoulders, she talked to him, trying to steady her own broken voice.

“AJ, you did nothing wrong,” she said, as gently as she could, placing a hand on his cheek. “Look at me.”

He let Violet slowly guide his face towards hers.

“You did nothing wrong, okay?” Violet repeated. “You saved her, AJ. Clem’s alive right now because of you.”

AJ looked at Violet. His eyes had watered and he buried his face in Violet’s shoulder before the tears came streaming down. She held him, it felt as if his tears were really hers, coming down the wrong pair of eyes.

“Is she going to be okay?” AJ’s question came slightly muffled as he pressed his face against her shoulder.

Violet wished she could just say ‘yes, of course she’ll be okay’, but she was wondering the same thing herself. AJ was too smart to be lied to, she knew, even in a moment like that, even with good intentions, so she just looked at him and with no hesitation said:

“She’s a fighter.”

AJ didn’t leave Clementine’s side during those days, something Violet was grateful for, since despite her best efforts she kept getting dragged here and there to fix the problems that rose all over the school. Nevertheless, none of those seemed as urgent as the tremors of Clementine’s chest, which kept Violet up, even after Ruby said Clementine was out of the woods.

One of those restless nights, Violet stepped into the room and saw AJ had fallen asleep on a chair by Clementine’s bed. Violet carried him carefully, making sure he wouldn’t wake up and slowly took him to the top bed. When she came back down, Violet sat by the bed and noticed Clementine’s eyes were open, though barely.

“Hey,” Violet said faintly.

“Vi?” Clementine’s strained voice replied.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Violet replied, before placing a hand on Clementine’s forehead to make sure there was no fever.

“Ta-talk to me…please, talk to me...”

“Uh…” Of course, she wanted to talk to her, but what to say? There was too much, Violet wanted to ask her how she was feeling, tell her everyone was taking care of her, tell her that she was safe, that the Delta was gone, but none of that seemed good for the moment. She went for something different.

“You know, when I first came to Ericson, I mainly kept to myself, so I basically had no friends. Shocking, I know. So, I used to sit at the back, next to Omar who no one wanted to sit next to because they said he was super farty. He was only a little a farty, to be fair.” Violet glanced over to Clementine. Her eyes had closed again, but she could swear her lips had curled slightly upwards.

“So in the back there was a…uh like this human torso, a model, like from plastic or some shit. It had the…the pieces, like the organs which you could take out, but it was missing a bunch of them, so teachers never used it and it was just sitting there at the back of the classroom.

“One day Omar decides to grab a kidney or something and starts to play around with it, pretending to wear it like an earring and making it sort of walk across his desk. It was stupid. Very stupid. But you know how, when you aren’t supposed to laugh, everything is ten times funnier? So, yeah, that made me lose my shit, and Mrs. Distefano notices something's up, so she starts coming our way.

“And of course, Omar panics and tries to put the kidney back, but he ends up messing the whole thing and all the fucking organs come crushing down one after the other right in front of Mrs. Distefano. My stomach hurt from laughing and I had actual tears in my eyes,” Violet let out a small chuckle as she remembered. “We both got detention after that, but it was…great.”

Violet looked at Clementine again, she was pretty sure she was back asleep. She leaned forward to gently clear some strands of hair from Clementine’s forehead, and thensat back on the chair. She wasn’t going anywhere. After a brief pause, she was surprised to hear Clementine’s raspy voice again.

“Omar…was farty?”

“Don’t tell him I said that," Violet chuckled. “Or he’ll punish me with the rations.”

At times, Violet was certain the worst had come to past, and sometimes she wished to lay her head on Clementine’s chest just to listen to her heartbeat, as if the gesture could protect it somehow.

* * *

“I can’t lose you either,” Clementine said, holding on to Violet’s free hand. “That’s why I have to be strong.”

“Not always, Clem. It’ll take some time to get used to everything, and while you figure it out, we’ll take care of you.”

“I…I don’t,” Clementine sighed deeply. “I’ve been so long on my own, taking care of AJ, I don’t think I know how to…be taken care of.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Violet smiled. “Why don’t you start by telling me the truth?”

“I always—”

“Is it hurting?” Violet interrupted, looking down at Clementine’s leg.

Clementine hesitated for a moment, then she nodded.

“Like a motherfucker,” she said.

“Good. I mean, it’s not good that it’s hurting, uh, but, you know…” Violet looked at the cow and gave her a soft pat. “Uh, why don’t you hop on? I’m sure good old Henrietta won’t mind giving you a ride back.”

“I…well, sure.”

“C’mon, I’ll help you up.”

Violet offered her hands so Clementine could step on them and sit on the cow’s back. Once she had found her balance up there, Violet grabbed the rope and began pulling slightly, to begin their journey back.

“Hold on tight,” Violet said, as they began to cross through the muddy ground.

“I had never ridden a cow before,” Clementine said, petting the animal’s neck. “Poor girl, I’m sure you didn’t expect this to be a part of the job. But don’t worry, Henrietta, I’ll treat you right.”

“God, I never thought I’d be jealous of a cow…” Violet murmured to herself.

“Don’t worry, Vi, I’ll treat you more than right,” Clementine replied, making Violet’s entire face burn. “Tonight, I’ll be the one taking care of you.”

Though Violet was getting better at reciprocating Clementine’s bold flirting, she still couldn’t help to giggle, as if they were passing notes in the middle of class.

“We better hurry then,” Violet replied, making the cow trot a bit, which made Clementine laugh. “But, Clem?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re changing Henrietta’s name, right?”

“Oh definitely.”

“Oreo?”

“Oreo.”


	5. The Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, this is how this little story ends. Thank you all for your reactions, comments and of course for reading it. I hope it was as fun to read as it was to write. I might write more because I just love this two. In any case, stay safe, and stay sane.
> 
> Greetings from Colombia

_Yup, definitely Violet’s fault,_ Clementine concluded, placing a hand over her racing chest. The rain was nearly gone, but the gusts of wind against her wet clothes and hair made Clementine shiver slightly. She did her best to hide it though because she knew, if she saw her, Violet would offer her her vest, and Clementine would have to refuse it because then Violet herself would freeze, and… it’d be a whole a thing. Yeah, Clementine would try to be honest, let herself be taken care of and whatnot, but there were limits.

As Clementine shook from side to side with each of Oreo’s steps, she made sure to keep her eyes wide open, scouting their surroundings to make sure there were no threats, living or dead. However, her eyes had this habit of finding their way back to her girlfriend, walking ahead. Her girlfriend, her girlfriend who loved her and who she loved back, even though she hadn’t had the guts to say it yet.

“Hey, Clem?”

As Violet spoke, Clementine looked away, as if fearing Violet had felt how much she had been staring at her, and was about to complain.

“Can I ask you something?” Violet continued instead.

“Sure.”

“You don’t…have to answer if you don’t want to…”

Clementine looked at Violet, trying to figure out what it could be. It sounded serious, but knowing how respectful Violet was of her privacy, it wouldn’t surprise Clementine if her girlfriend just wanted to know what her favorite color was.

“A while ago,” Violet continued, “you mentioned a boy…who you were ‘just friends’ with…I was just curious…was he your first crush?”

“Gabe?” Clementine said surprised. “Yeah, I guess…I don’t know, maybe? I mean, I liked spending time with him, and cared about him, for sure…but we were both still kids, I guess, and it’s hard to compare it to when you came along.”

Violet looked away in a poor attempt to hide her reddening cheeks. Clementine smiled. Leave it to Violet to blush at someone saying they had a crush on her even when that someone was already her girlfriend, even when Violet herself had already said 'I love you' to that someone. Clementine wished to hop off and give her a kiss on those same cheeks.

“What…happened to him?”

“We went our separate ways. He and his family are living in a community, and they’re okay, I think…I hope.”

“That’s nice.”

“How about you…Was Minnie your first crush?”

Was it in poor taste to bring up Minnie? Probably. Clementine was about to discard the question altogether when Violet spoke.

“My first crush?”

“It’s alright if you don’t want to—"

“That would be Ms. Grady.”

Clementine stopped talking and listened closely.

“The music teacher at Ericson. She…she had this, uh, blue eyes and some freckles, and she was one of the few teachers who knew I existed, mainly because she liked my voice.”

“Your voice is beautiful.”

Violet replied with a shy _thanks._

“What happened to her?”

“She left, just like everyone else. For a moment I thought she would stay, I really hoped she would…but deep down I knew she wouldn’t because…”

Clementine noticed Violet’s hands had started fidgeting with the rope.

“I know this might sound crazy,” Violet continued, “but since I can remember I had this feeling, like I had…darkness inside. That was all they talked about in church: darkness. And I felt like there was…it was like I had eaten a ball of tar at some point and then it just spread all over my body. And people —my father, my mom, Ms. Grady, even…grandma—, they wouldn’t notice it at first, but once they did, they’d just leave...Sorry, I know it sounds crazy.”

“It doesn’t sound crazy,” Clementine said, touching her own stomach, as if she could feel the exact place her own ball of tar dwelled. “But I just, I’ve never felt anything like that when I’m with you. I don’t know, maybe that darkness you felt wasn’t really yours…maybe it was all theirs…if that makes sense.”

“I never…thought of that.”

“Do you…” Clementine asked gingerly. “Do you still feel like that?”

“Sometimes.”

That was more than enough to break Clementine’s heart. How she wished she could give her eyes to Violet, so she may see herself through them, if she did, she would see herself as the most precious girl in the world.

“You know you’re stuck with me, right?” Clementine said instead. “Because I’m not going anywhere, Vi, no matter what.”

As she said it, Clementine promised herself that every day she’d find ways to make Violet believe it.

* * *

Back at the school everyone gathered around Oreo. As they took her to her new home by the greenhouse, Aasim and Willy bickered about the logistics of milking while Louis started making plans for the first ever “Ericson’s Annual Rodeo” and Omar fantasized about having real butter. As for AJ, after an in-depth explanation of what an Oreo actually was and the proper way to eat one, it took him about ten seconds to nickname the cow “Cookie”. Immediately Clementine knew that would be the name that stuck. It didn’t matter at all because, at that moment, she couldn’t believe how lucky she was, getting to return to an actual home. Even Ruby’s reprimands for getting soaked under the rain were welcomed.

Ruby had the fireplace lit so Clementine and Violet could dry themselves and remove the wet clothes. As they changed into their undergarments by the fire, Clementine couldn’t help giving Violet quick glances. Some of which were caught by Violet, making Clementine’s cheeks burn intensely.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “It’s just…that wet shirt really suits you.”

Violet gave her a smirk.

“I might look better without one.”

“Okay you two,” Ruby intervened, tossing them some oversized dry shirts. “Save that for later.”

They chuckled, as Ruby picked up the wet jackets, and left the room again. Once they had changed into the dry shirts, Clementine looked down at her pirate leg, and rubbed the skin next to it. It stung, and ached, and it’d never be like her real leg, but she wouldn’t trade it. She couldn’t imagine having to be back on the road, dragging AJ from place to place, running, even if that running was made by two legs.

“So, overall, how was the new leg?” Violet asked, as she placed their wet socks by the fireplace.

“Well, the stump’s a bit swollen, but all and all it’s good.”

“Cow-level good?”

Clementine laughed.

“There’s just one more thing I have to try out before declaring it cow-level good,” she said.

"Are you kidding me?" Violet asked. “How are you not tired right now?”

Instead of answering, Clementine walked towards the gramophone to play some music. Then she walked over to Violet, who probably had already guessed what was on Clementine’s mind.

“Would you dance with me?”

Violet let out a faint laugh as she took Clementine’s hand. As they began to dance, Clementine noticed her leg did have a tendency to drag, but it was hard to care when Violet was so close to her. However, Clementine felt the wooden leg wobble slightly, and for a moment she feared she’d lose her balance.

“I got you,” Violet said, as she placed her hands around Clementine’s waist.

“I think I still need more practice,” Clementine replied, placing her arms around her girlfriend’s neck.

“We’ll practice every night, if necessary.”

Dancing felt so different then without the regular layers of clothes. It was all so light, like they might start hovering over the floor at any moment. Clementine leaned closer, and heard a sigh escape Violet’s lips. She looked deep into her girlfriend’s green eyes.

“So, earlier you might’ve said…” Clementine spoke softly, “uh, that you…love me.”

“You didn’t know?”

Clementine let out a small chuckle and felt her cheeks get warm. Violet made it seem so simple, didn’t she? And maybe it was that simple, Clementine thought, leaning forward to give her a kiss.

“I love you too,” she said.

“I know,” Violet replied, nestling her head on Clementine’s shoulder.


End file.
